Trust Report Canada · November 2026
Each November, Canadians remember those who served. Many of those still with us live with injuries from that service, and Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) pays disability benefits for them.
Applying costs nothing. Help with the application costs nothing too. This page lists where to find that help, and what to ask if someone offers to do it for a fee.
Who helps, at no cost
| Who | What they do | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Affairs Canada | Help with the application, online, by phone or in person | 1-866-522-2122, a secure message in My VAC Account, or an appointment at a VAC office |
| The Royal Canadian Legion | Service officers help with applications and represent you in reviews and appeals, up to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. You do not need to be a member. | 1-877-534-4666, [email protected] |
| The War Amps of Canada | Help completing the application | Named on VAC’s disability benefits page |
| Bureau of Pensions Advocates | Lawyers within VAC who give advice and represent you if you disagree with a decision. There is no application form. | 1-877-228-2250 |
Sources: VAC’s disability benefits page (modified 2026-07-03) says Legion and War Amps “assistance is free of charge.” The Legion says its help is free “whether or not you are a member.” The Bureau of Pensions Advocates (modified 2024-05-22) says “our services are free-of-charge.”
Why this matters now
We found little we could corroborate about paid services for VAC disability claims in Canada. We would like it to stay that way.
The same arrangement is well established in the United States, and it already exists on the Canadian disability programs next to this one.
- Disability Tax Credit. Parliament passed the Disability Tax Credit Promoters Restrictions Act in 2014 over contingency fees on credit claims. Its regulations set a cap of $100 per tax year. The Canada Revenue Agency says the regulations are suspended until further notice because of a court injunction.
- Canada Disability Benefit. In 2025, CARP described a member who believed they were applying on a government website. They had given their details to a private company, under a contract for a share of future payments.
- United States. KFF Health News reported in 2023 on private services that bill American veterans five times the monthly increase in their disability compensation. In one case reported there, a monthly award of
165.92 was followed by a bill for829.60.
Veterans’ disability benefits share every feature these cases have in common: a federal disability program, an application with medical evidence, and payments that a contract can take a share of. The best protection is knowing the free route before anyone offers a paid one. Please share this page with a veteran or a veteran’s family.
Five questions before you pay anyone
- Is this help I could get for free? For a VAC disability claim, review or appeal, it is. Call the Legion or VAC first.
- What will you do that the free services will not? Ask for the answer in writing.
- What is the fee in dollars? A percentage of an award you have not received is hard to weigh. Ask for the largest amount you could owe.
- How do I cancel, and what do I owe if I do?
- Am I on a government site? VAC applications go through My VAC Account on veterans.gc.ca. A site that collects your details and is not on a gc.ca address is not VAC.
If you have already signed
You can still speak to a Legion service officer or the Bureau of Pensions Advocates about your claim. If an offer, a website or a call made claims you could not check, tell us at [email protected].
Mike wrote his own take on this: Wright (2026), Thank a Veteran. Then Stop Charging Them for Free Paperwork.